Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

My niece and 27 of her friends searched the internet for a party bus to take them all to the 2014 prom. The came across the reasonably priced Hot Atl Party Bus website because of a good review. I am writing this review to make sure that no one is ever fooled by them or their misleading website again.

I took over communication with Mike G once the kids decided to use this company because it made more sense for an adult to negotiate the specifics the pricing and the details of the evening. So that I don't have to re-live a very upsetting evening, I will just list all of the things that went terribly wrong on prom night:

1. The bus arrived 45 minutes late. Although we did change the original arrival time verbally, the email that I sent to Mike G to confirm the bus's destination included the new arrival time that we had discussed verbally (so it was in writing).

2. The address did not come up on GPS, so the driver chose "the next best address" (which took him in some random direction) instead of calling me to get turn by turn directions. I told Mike G (via email) that the address may not show up on GPS b/c my subdivision is very new, but he neglected to tell the driver---so the driver got lost.

3. I also emailed the address of the restaurant to Mike G, but he neglected to give that to the driver too so we had to waste more time getting the driver this info when he had already arrived 45 minutes late.

4. The company DEMANDED a cash payment due when the driver arrived, but the driver did not provide a receipt! Therefore, there was no way to prove that we paid our bill in full and there was really no way to ensure that the driver wouldn't just leave (once he dropped the kids off at their first destination). When we expressed this concern, Mike G didn't care. He told us that the driver wasn't going ANYWHERE until he got the entire cash payment. Me and all of the parents had to comply so that we did not ruin our kids' prom and make them later than they already were to dinner and the actual prom.

5. We were told that the bus they were sending seated 30 people. When we went to see the bus (about a week before prom) it was obvious that the bus did not seat that many people. When we asked for the larger bus, we were told that they only had one and it was rented out. In reality, the bus that they sent only seated about 22 people comfortably. THE KIDS HAD TO SIT ON EACH OTHER LAPS (in their formal attire) in order to fit on the bus).

6. The photos on the website are misleading. The busses look new on the internet, but they are really much older.

7. The air conditioner was not in proper working order, so the kids were forced to sweat profusely in their formal attire.

8. The door to the bus would only stay closed with a bungee cord!

9. When we originally asked to view the busses before prom, we were told that ALL of them were at the shop having their AC serviced. We were allowed to briefly view the small bus while it was in the shop, but the process of setting up this viewing was rather "shady" and time-consuming.

BEWARE because you get what you pay for! Hot Atl Party Bus was the least expensive, but it's because they provided below average driver services and customer service. Mike G tried to blame me for his company's short-comings, but I wasn't the one who provided an old bus with a door that wouldn't even close without a bungee cord. When demanding cash only, you should know that you have to provide a receipt. And you shouldn't outright LIE about the number of people that you vehicles can accomodate. Just plain UNPROFESSIONAL and a sham. Save yourself the money and choose another transportation service!

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.